Best foreign directors?

[CrazyRalph]

I'm looking to expand my knowledge of foreign horror and would love to hear about some directors worthy of checking out. I know, of course, of most Italians(Argento, Fulci, Deodato, Saovi, Bava & Bava, etc), but was wondering who else is worthy of checking out.

I've heard some good things about Jean Rollin(I loved Zombie Lake but it was in a "so bad it's good" kind of way), but ZL is his own film I've seen. Anyone have any recommendations? Thanks!

Crazy Ralph

[Lord Crumb]

Dude, AWESOME username/avatar!!!

My favorite foreign horror directors are as follows:

-Alejandro Amenabar (I absolutely LOVE his work!!!)
-Peter Jackson (hey, New Zealand is foreign!)
-Guillermo Del toro
-Mario Bava
-Dario Argento
-Hideo Nakata
-The Pang Bros. (I've only seen THE EYE, but they successfully scared the living shit out of me, so they deserve mention.

[Fisting Ackbar]

Hideo Nakata, Guillermo Del Toro, Jaume Balaguero, Dario Argento, Alejandro Amenabar, Peter Jackson, Mario Bava, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Michele Soavi, Takashi Miike

[Klownzilla]

Guillermo Del Toro
Shusuke Kaneko
Peter Jackson

[the night watchman]

David Cronenberg is Canadian. Does that make him foreign? ;)

I saw one movie by Jean Rollin, "Demoniacs," and I really don't see what the big deal is. Maybe this movie isn't representative of the rest of his work. I'd be willing to give more of his movies a chance, but if they're all more the same, I'm frankly perplexed.

Mario Bava, Guillermo del Toro, and Peter Jackson are my three favorite non-American directors (excluding Cronenberg). I love what I've seen by Hideo and Takashii, but haven't seen enough of either's work to consider them favorites. I'll certainly seek out more of their stuff, though. Amenabar's work hasn't failed to impress either.

[Ren Hoek]

hey, don't forget the old stuff!!!!

e.g. the best of the 1920 silent era horror movies actually were directed by German directors, such as Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (Nosferatu, a Symphony of Terror) or Robert Wiene (The Cabinet of Dr Caligari).

P.S.: from my POV, the best contemporary non-North-American genre director is Guillermo Del Toro...

[the night watchman]

Of, course. <Slaps forehead> Thanks, Ren. You're certainly no eediot. ;) That reminds me of Carl Dreyer who directed my all-time favorite vampire film "Vampyr."

[MotorizedInstinct]

Del Toro-Mexico (Cronos, Mimic, Devil's Backbone, Blade2)
Peter Jackson-New Zealand (Bad Taste, Dead Alive, Meet the Feebles)
Miike-Japan (Audition, Ichi the Killer)
Fulci-Italy (Zombie, The Beyond)

[the night watchman]

Just bought the Coffin Joe trilogy on DVD, directed by (and starring) Jose Mojica Marins. Watched the first movie, "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul." Pretty impressed, all things considered, but I'll wait and see the other two before I decide whether Marins is one of my favorite foreign directors. Anybody else familiar with his stuff?

[skantchweasel]

Jörg Buttgereit is worth lookin into if "arty pushing the envelope of good taste movies" float ure boat...
He did Nekromantik, Schramm and Der TodesKing... but has been pretty much off the scene after doing Nekro 2: Return of the Loving dead... deffo a chap with issues...

Álex de la Iglesia put out some rad stuff in the early 90s, Accion Mutante (fuckin a!), Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango... Altho his offerings of late are kinda non existant, his earlier stuff rules!

Andreas Schnaas is... errr.. u wanted recommendations didnt you?
2 words... Violent-Shit... Well, we'd better skip him..

:)

[the night watchman]

The only movie I've seen from Álex de la Iglesia was "Day of the Beast," and it blew me away. What a great movie! Comedic and genuinely scary at times (that frickin' goat!), with an unexpectedly poignant conclusion. I really need to see more of his stuff.

[Ren Hoek]

Has anyone mentioned Don Coscarelli before? I think that the first PHANTASM is a really scary, well-crafted film... can't believe that the sequels are sooooo bad (well, the first sequel was OK).

BTW: He was born in Libya

[skantchweasel]

Originally posted by the night watchman
The only movie I've seen from Álex de la Iglesia was "Day of the Beast," and it blew me away. What a great movie! Comedic and genuinely scary at times (that frickin' goat!), with an unexpectedly poignant conclusion. I really need to see more of his stuff.


Man, admittedly worlds apart, but if its within ure power, you really should check out Accion Mutante!

The 2 couldnt really be further apart - Apocalyptic coming of El Diablo vs The misfortunes of a Terrorist organisation of Freaks, cripples and other social undesirables... but for your entertainment dollar, if you like wierd kick ass sci fi... you can do no wrong.. (in my opinion anyhoos...)

:)